Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Who you calling "Elderly"?

So, I'm an "older" mom. I've come to terms with the fact that I am "of advanced maternal age" which any pregnant woman over the age of 35 is labeled. I've come to terms with the fact that being over 35 + having a miscarriage + having had pre-eclampsia previous = high risk. But honestly, I haven't been treated any differently this pregnancy than my last. I'm seen a bit more often, but I can live with that, especially as the third trimester is just next week and my visits are going to start ramping up next month. But I learned something today that just about sent me over the edge. I was on our insurance company's website to complete some online coaching that is required by Rocky's work to get bonuses regarding insurance premiums. While there, I noticed a link to "Conditions" and thought I'd see what was there for me. Under Primary Diagnosis were the words:

Elderly Multigravida, with Antepartum Condition or Complication

Elderly? ELDERLY??? Are you freakin' kidding me?? I thought for sure it was a mistake. Elderly and antepartum don't go together. So I Googled it. And this came up:

Elderly multigravida. Second or more pregnancy in a woman who will be 35 years of age or older at expected date of delivery

Okay, well, yes, that IS me, but who is the genius in health insurance that decided the term "Elderly" should be applied to women over the age of 35? You know it was a man.